Norwich City are currently facing significant concerns regarding the fitness of two crucial players, Mathias Kvistgaarden and Ben Chrisene, following injuries sustained during their recent 1-1 draw against Coventry City. Head coach Liam Manning has expressed his worries, acknowledging that the absence of either player would pose a considerable challenge for the Canaries.
Kvistgaarden, who celebrated his first goal for Norwich with a well-executed strike in the first half, was forced to leave the pitch after suffering a knee injury shortly after the break. The Danish forward had been steadily acclimatising to the squad since his late arrival in pre-season and had made notable contributions, particularly in Norwich's solid 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers. Read more about Sargent Shines as Norwich Target Vital Win Against Coventry.
Chrisene's injury raises similar concerns; he departed the field with a suspected hamstring issue after making a commendable return from a previous ankle problem. The 20-year-old had played a pivotal role in the Blackburn match and had recently earned a call-up to the England Under-21 squad, making this setback particularly disappointing.
Manning confirmed that both players will undergo assessments by the club's medical team, with results expected to clarify their availability for upcoming fixtures. He commented on Kvistgaarden's situation: “Mathias landed funny and felt his knee, so we'll see how that is. That is as far as I know at the minute. He’s definitely someone for the short to medium term who is going to be really important for this club.” Read more about Manning Sticks with Same XI for Vital Coventry Clash.
Regarding Chrisene, Manning stated, “Ben felt his left hamstring and he couldn’t continue. I don’t know how bad it is obviously until we assess him. I thought he was excellent against Blackburn because he’s had to be patient. It was obviously a great achievement for him to get called up for the England Under-21s, so he'd been away for two weeks and got back midweek. Disappointed for him, because he produced a real level of performance coming back into the side.”
The impact of these injuries was immediately felt, as Norwich struggled to maintain their composure in the latter stages of the match. The Canaries were ultimately punished when Haji Wright equalised in the 96th minute, snatching a point for Coventry.
Reflecting on the match, Manning acknowledged the challenge posed by Coventry, a team that has been together longer and possesses a more established understanding of their game. He remarked, “If you compare where we’re at in our journey to Coventry, they’re a lot more established and have been together a lot longer. What we have to do is take the experience and learn from it to make us better.”
Despite the frustration of conceding a late equaliser, Manning identified several positives to build upon as Norwich prepares for their forthcoming fixtures, hoping for a swift recovery for Kvistgaarden and Chrisene to bolster the team’s campaign.